


Trust in Hope

by Genuinelies



Series: Trust in Need [3]
Category: Warcraft (2016), World of Warcraft
Genre: Established relationship (kind of), LionTrust, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-07-15 17:03:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7231078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Genuinelies/pseuds/Genuinelies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Khadgar secretly follows Anduin on patrol, and gets into trouble for his efforts. </p><p>This is the third (and final?) part of "Trust in Need". Now from Khadgar's perspective!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trust in Hope

**Author's Note:**

> Oookay so I didn't mean to spend three days writing Liontrust fanfic, but it happened ^^;. 
> 
> I have no regrets.

This would be a lot more pleasant, Khadgar complained to himself, if Anduin wasn’t such an idiot. As if he could tell Khadgar to stay behind at the castle while he went on patrol. By his count, he had saved the warrior’s life more than once, considering it was thanks to him the Fel was discovered in the first place.

He had done exactly as he had wanted before, and he wasn’t about to stop now just because someone happened to think he couldn’t take care of himself. That was completely untrue. It was all he had done his entire life.

It had taken him a while to puzzle out Anduin’s motives, of course. At first he thought the teasing was hatred, and when the teasing turned to intense, slightly worried staring, he had also assumed that was hatred. The Lion of Azeroth had done nothing but pick on him since they had met in the dungeons. Now that he had come, of his own accord, looking after his safety, though, it was hard to be so dense. Anduin, he had realized, was deeply worried for him, and had thought he could harass him away from danger.

Stupid, of course. He was the guardian of Azeroth, and Anduin Lothar, being an inhabitant of said world, and a worthy one, was therefore also under his protection.

That, at least, was how he justified how he was currently skulking through high grass and bizarrely-placed jungle trees under the influence of an invisibility potion after his…

 _He likes women,_ he reminded himself firmly. _He likes family. His son was his world. These things are known to happen, between soldiers. It probably means nothing to him, outside of misplaced protectiveness and loneliness. You yourself have a role in this world. It’s better not to be attached. See what happened to Medivh? What happens when emotion clouds your judgment and your eyes?_

Khadgar struggled with defining their relationship internally for a moment, and finally settled on “comrade”.

By then, of course, he was already tumbling into the pit.

#

The orc trap, luckily, was shallow, and as he was fortuitously stealthed and cowering into the reeds at the bottom the orcs that came merely grumbled to each other and reset their work. Which made it extremely difficult to get out again, but he managed, though not without befuddling the orc hunters yet again as their trap sprung open.

By then, the party from Stormwind was long out of sight. Muffling his hard breathing, Khadgar made sure to get safely away from enemy territory before collapsing against a tree to compose himself. He cursed Anduin silently for being so stubborn. He could be riding on a horse right now, if only they could travel together.

He knew, deep down, that this was an ill use of his time and no good would come of it. Anduin could handle himself, and he had a troupe of Stormwind guards with him. But it was his fault in the first place, really, for coming to pull Khadgar out of Karazhan. He wasn’t wrong, either – the place was getting to him. When he slept he could feel things brushing his skin, like spiderwebs, even though the air around his bed was free of anything tangible. When he was awake he could see hints of shimmering air and darkness out of the corner of his eyes. He had been used to it, on some level, while Medivh lived, but now the magic and what came with it submerged the place like infested water. Plus, the spiders. So many spiders.

And what if Anduin came across more Fel on his travels? He wasn’t equipped to deal with magic of that sort. It made perfect sense that he should bring a mage like Khadgar with him, instead of just steel.

Night was rapidly approaching, and now he was faced with a conundrum – to go back, a day’s journey wasted, or to port to the Alliance camp, and risk his magic being seen.

Distant yells made his decision for him. Hastily, he pulled the arcane around him, and ported.

#

It was a melee when Khadgar ported to Anduin’s location, the Alliance forces having been obviously ambushed. Hugely intimidating orcs surrounded the Stormwind guard, fighting ferociously for their freedom beside Anduin. The man was obviously in his element though, his hair wild around his fiercely focused eyes, a slight grin on his face as he dodged and hacked in attack after attack.

They were in undeniable need of assistance, however, and Khadgar’s only regret for his actions was that now he would have to reveal himself, and Anduin would know he disobeyed his attempts at keeping him safe, yet again.

It couldn’t be helped.

On the outskirts of the skirmish, unnoticed yet by either party, he began drawing his power into himself, everything taking on a sharpness as it flowed into the very core of his being, channeling into his eyes.

It was a dangerous ability to have, access to the arcane. He knew he was not Medivh, but for a moment, in the tower, when all but the smallest shard of him had been consumed by Fel, he saw how easy that fall would be.

The guardian had killed his own, his only, companion.

It left him with a wariness around others that had been hard to shake. He had hoped, despite his promises, to be left to his own devices for quite some time. But what he saw before him was proof that he had a greater responsibility to uphold than just to himself. He knew – _knew_ – that Anduin Lothar was important to the world. He could not let him be cut down.

With that thought in mind, he released all the magic he had gathered in focused blasts, taking out four of the orcs before Anduin finished off the one he had been locked in combat with and turned, his face furious. “I told you to stay at the castle, spell-chucker!” He wasn’t able to complete his rant, though, before more orcs closed in.

They had noticed Khadgar, now. Hastily he drew up the protective wards around himself, or tried to. A large green hand closed around his throat before he could finish spitting out the spell. He felt his eyes widen in terror. The tusks were really large up close, and rather disgusting, Khadgar mused. Garona’s hadn’t been like that, but he assumed that it had been due to her human parentage. They must be useful. He wondered if there was some way to…

Wherever that thought was leading was aborted as the orc gurgled before he could finish crushing Khadgar’s larynx.

And just when he saw Anduin’s dry look of reproach levelled at him behind the body, he felt pain sharply sliding through his left side.

“No!” Anduin screamed, and lunged forward. He passed Khadgar as he fell, engaging whatever enterprising Horde warrior had managed to sneak up on him.

On the ground, Khadgar groaned, but forced his eyes open to look around them. They had won. The three remaining enemies were leaving on their two surviving mounts, throwing what had to be epithets behind them as they went. There was a wet groan and loud thump as the guards scrambled to Anduin’s aid and felled the last orc.

Khadgar reached for his staff to help himself to his feet. A heavy booted foot came crashing down less than an inch from his bloodied fingers. A moment later, Anduin’s battered armor came into his vision as he knelt. He looked up, and wasn’t surprised to see his lips pressed into an angry white line, fire burning in his eyes. He grabbed Khadgar painfully by the chin and shook his head. “I told you to stay behind!”

Khadgar only groaned in response. He felt arms grab him from behind and turn him over with surprising gentleness.

“Can you heal?” Anduin bit out.

He waved a hand weakly in affirmation. “Just…remove…”

The hand on his chin became a brief caress, and Anduin moved so that he would have better leverage. Blinding pain made him black out for a moment. He felt his undershirt behind tugged upward when he came to again.

“Boy, this isn’t healing yourself…!” He felt a slap that really couldn’t have been a lot harder. It was useful, though, in bringing him back to consciousness.

“Right,” he muttered. He grasped at the arcane and it eluded him, sputtering out in weak sparks on his fingertips. Anduin’s grip on his shoulders tightened painfully.

He wouldn’t be proven right by the warrior. He could hold his own in battle. He was useful. If he could be felled by a single orc, what good was he to the world?

“Get him up!” Anduin ordered.

The stream of magic burst forth from his lips before they got the chance. He felt his muscles and organs finding their proper order, knitting the tissues back together. Taking several deep, affirming breaths, he tried again to get to his feet, and instead found himself yanked roughly upwards and slammed against a tree.

He groaned, writhing. Just because the injuries were gone didn’t mean he didn’t have some nasty bruising. His feet were no longer touching the forest floor. Behind Anduin’s rage-filled face, the four guards shifted nervously in place, unsure what to do. “What are you doing here, Khadgar?” His tone was dangerously mellow.

Khadgar attempted a smile and felt it fall lopsided. He didn’t really have an excuse to make, so he didn’t try.

Anduin slammed him backward again. “I am the commander here, and the Queen’s brother. If I tell you to stay, you do it!”

“What, and let-“ Khadgar bit his cry off before he could finish the damaging sentence. _Not in front of the guards._ His eyes shifted over Anduin’s shoulder. They shouldn’t hear anyone accusing their leader of weakness.

Anduin’s mouth quirked sideways in grim amusement. “Something embarrassing to say?”

“I helped you!” Khadgar said instead. “You would have lost here.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I have eyes!”

Anduin bent his face close enough that his beard tickled Khadgar’s cheek. “It seems as if that trust you were looking for isn’t returned.”

He all but threw him at one of the guards, who stumbled backward in surprise. “Take him back to Stormwind!” Anduin commanded. “And put him in the barracks to think!”

“You can’t spare them-“

“Do not tell me how to manage my troupes,” Anduin whirled once, pinning him again under that heavy gaze, before turning and jumping on his mount.

“I’m sorry,” Khadgar muttered to the guard, going limp and then twisting out of her grasp. She made a grab for him but he managed to leap far enough away that he could throw up a protective shield.

“Don’t do this-“ Anduin gritted out.

He was halfway through casting his portal when Anduin added, “You’re going to force me to give you formal punishment for disregard of a direct command. Don’t do this.”

Khadgar held his eyes for a long moment, and looked at the guards around them, standing witness.

He had, he reminded himself, actually already done just that by coming. Disobeyed direct commands.

“Keep your guards,” he said. “I’ll see myself in when I get there.”

He drew up a new portal, and threw himself on the cold stone floor of the jail cell.

“You might want to close that,” he said bitterly, to the poor, jumpy guard by the door.

Ah, he mused, it was the one he had turned into a sheep.

#

“Khadgar,” Queen Taria’s voice woke him from an unrestful sleep. It was a welcome interruption; he felt as if he had been crying out. All that he seemed to dream of these days was his mentor Medivh’s face in a demon’s sickly body.

He blinked open his eyes and pushed his sore body up into a sitting position.

“Khadgar, what are you doing down here? The guard sent for me.”

He met her kind brown eyes with his own. “I disobeyed orders,” he explained.

“No one brought you here,” she countered.

He sighed. “I followed Lothar’s patrol.”

“Lothar?” Her lips quirked. “Do you mean my brother, Anduin? How long has it been since you called him that?”

Khadgar’s gaze shifted to the guard behind Taria. She half-turned, nodded, than turned back to him. “Why are you here?”

“He was going to have a guard go back with me. I didn’t want to cause him to be short any men, so I ported in.” He played with his sleeves. “I disobeyed orders by following him. He had to do something with his guards there.”

Taria nodded in understanding. “He’ll let you out when he gets back. Though I imagine you could leave any time you wished.” She turned to the guard by the door. “In the future, if any prisoner has the use of magic, you are to restrain them using arcane bindings. Is that clear? For now, though, this prisoner is free to go as he pleases.”

“Yes, your highness.” The guard saluted.

“It doesn’t have to be a secret, you know,” she said, crouching down, her robes brushing the floor.

Khadgar scrambled to stand up, wincing. She stood with him, reaching out a hand toward the bars. “You’re hurt.”

“I’m fine now.”

“They were attacked, then.” Her gaze was worried.

“They’re fine now, too.”

She smiled, and nodded once. “Because you were there.” Her tone was knowing. “And still he sent you here. My brother, Khadgar, can be very stubborn, and very proud.”

“Mm,” he said, noncommittally.

Taria held his eyes. “Did you hear what I said? That it doesn’t have to be a secret?”

Khadgar shifted nervously on his feet. “Is it one?” He smiled uncertainly at her, knowing exactly what she meant.

She laughed, gently. “You’re free to go, when you feel you’ve served enough of a sentence. I trust your judgment, if not my brother’s, at least not about this. Not about your role here. We’ll need your help, and he will need to learn how to accept it.”

Taria turned to take her leave, and paused by the stairs. “Please, don’t go back to Karazhan, though. Not yet.” She disappeared up the stone steps.

Khadgar slumped against the wall, and stared at the moon rising up above Stormwind from beyond the drafty barred window of his cell.

#

The slight stench of alcohol in the musty air of the barracks was what woke Khadgar for the second time. He kept still as he heard hasty words exchanged with the guard in a familiar, slurred voice.

“You can stand just outside.”

“Please don’t ask me to leave my post, sir-“

“Come on. The Queen herself said he was free to go, didn’t she?”

“Yes sir, but I value my career, and my post is-“

“Do you want to be a sheep again? Because he could make you a sheep.”

Uncomfortable silence reigned for a moment, then a loud sigh filled the room. “Fine. But you’ll be getting an earful, and it’s not to leave this room, got that?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good.”

Khadgar stood as the sound of footsteps grew louder. Anduin Lothar came to stand in front of his cell, holding a bottle in one hand. Khadgar watched him anxiously, looking for some sign of how things were between them.

Anduin’s mouth was grim beneath his unkempt beard. There was some emotion gleaming in his eyes that Khadgar couldn’t place. Finally, his lips twitched. “You put yourself into a cell.”

“It’s not fair to tell me to follow orders, and then mock me for when I do.”

Anduin continued to watch him, his expression just short of amusement. “The Queen told me she pardoned you.”

“She also told me not to return to Karazhan.”

“Smart woman, my sister. So why does that mean you’re here?”

Khadgar watched him bemusedly, waiting for some sign of realization in the other man. Where else would he go? He hadn’t especially felt like spending an awkward night haunting the courts, and the only other place he had to stay was Anduin’s own rooms. After the moment began to become uncomfortable, he clarified, “This is as good as an inn.”

That elicited a spark of reaction. “An inn!” Anduin spun out of his sight. Khadgar peered sideways as best he could around the gate to his cell, and saw that the warrior had slid to the floor, back to the wall between his quarters and the adjacent holding room. “Do you hear him?” He asked the guard.

The guard, wisely, stayed silent.

Anduin put his face in one hand, propped on his knee. Khadgar with no little surprise realized he thought he couldn’t see him.

“Why are you here?” Khadgar asked hesitantly.

“Why am I-“ Anduin echoed for a second time, then shot to his feet. Khadgar stumbled back a step. “You think I’d leave you in here.” It wasn’t a question.

“I mean, I wouldn’t stay,” Khadgar offered. “I just wanted to see you when you came back.”

“Before you left.”

“Yes. Was the rest of your patrol successful?”

Anduin stared at him, openmouthed, before shaking his head in apparent disbelief and taking a long swallow of his alcohol. His neck stretched back, the apple on his throat bobbing as he chugged back the liquid.

“Anduin,” Khadgar said, “You can’t keep doing this to yourself.”

“Oh?” He looked at him again, and twisted his mouth into something that was definitely not a smile. “And you, mage, can’t tell me what to do.”

“That’s-“

“And,” Anduin cut in, lowering his chin so his gaze wasn’t so direct. “And. I can’t tell you what to do, either, it seems.”

Khadgar fiddled with the hem of his sleeves. The guard behind Anduin was staring at the corner, facing away from them both.

“Please tell me you have my staff,” he said finally. “I dropped it when-“

“Yes, you klutzy, absentminded mage, I have your staff.”

He let out a little sigh of relief. “I’m glad you’re all right.”

Anduin’s face went through a series of strange contortions. Finally a short laugh burst from his lips. “I keep wanting to repeat what you say, because absolutely nothing that’s been coming out of your mouth sounds right. It’s what I do, Khadgar. I’m a soldier.” His stare was intense on his face. His voice lowered. “I can’t ask you not to worry, but can I please ask you not to die trying to protect me?”

“I’m not dead!” Khadgar protested hurriedly.

“Yet,” Anduin pointed out.

Khadgar flinched and turned from him, his cheeks hot. The memory of Medivh correcting him with that same word overpowered the present, for a moment.

“That’s what Medivh said, wasn’t it?” Anduin asked softly, correctly guessing his thoughts.

“Look, Anduin,” Khadgar replied instead of answering him. “I’m not your son.”

“And thank the Light for that,” Anduin said acidly.

“But even though Callan died, and I can’t imagine that loss, he made his own choices and he died a hero and a warrior. I have my own path to walk and yes, I imagine that path will in the future include fighting beside you. If I die, it will be on my own terms, and you will never be held responsible for that.”

Anduin slapped the bars. “That orc gutted you!”

“Yes, and it was painful!” Khadgar agreed. “But I’ve seen your body,” he choked on his words a moment, while Anduin’s ire was overshadowed with clear humor at his expense. He forged ahead. “It’s covered with scars!”

“But you’re not a warrior, bookworm!”

“I’m the guardian. Whether you or I like it or not there are wars in my future, Anduin.”

A muscle in Anduin’s jaw twitched. Khadgar watched him earnestly, hoping he would understand.

“Get yourself out of that cell,” Anduin growled.

“But the guard right there has the key-“

“And it’s a lesson for that guard for the next time you’re in here that you’ll need better restraints.”

Sighing, Khadgar muttered a few words and the lock clicked open. By the doorway, the guard took a nervous step back before composing themselves. Anduin made a large, sarcastic gesture with his arms, as if to say, “ _See?”_

Khadgar fell in step beside him. He saw Anduin glance at him out of the corner of his eye as they made their way up the steps.

Despite that, they made the rest of their journey in awkward silence. When they reached the trade district, Khadgar made a start toward the Gilded Rose. Anduin's hand shot out and gripped him by the elbow.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To find-"

"No.”

"You still want me to stay with you?" Khadgar was surprised.

"I throw you in the barracks because I'm worried about your life, and you ask me that?" Anduin put a none-too-gentle hand on his head and tussled his hair forcefully.

 Khadgar sighed. "Look. The Kirin Tor don't particularly forbid relationships, but they do frown upon them. Heavily."

"And what does that have to do with you, little runaway?"

"I understand their reasoning," he said. "You were right about one thing. I should not have been out on patrol with you. I was shirking my duties and let personal attachment distract me."

Anduin looked like he wanted to punch something.

Khadgar smiled, knowing full well he’d put his argumentative friend in a hard place. If he disputed Khadgar, he would have to admit that his decision to come with Anduin had been correct.

“I don’t want you travelling by yourself like that again,” Anduin finally said, gruffly, “But if you must, you tell me, and you become a member of the troupe, where we can keep an eye on you.”

Khadgar blinked up at him.

“So that was what the Kirin Tor said,” Khadgar said. “But it’s not what Medivh told me, or the protector Alodi. Their advice was very different.”

Anduin looked puzzled.

He didn’t feel like explaining more than that. Anduin started walking again. “Coming?”

Khadgar hurried to catch up.

#

After they had both freshened up, Anduin from his night of drinking, and Khadgar washing the dried blood crusted over the smooth skin of his side, they climbed into bed together, laying on their sides with Khadgar’s back to Anduin’s stomach. Khadgar was surprised to feel a rough hand begin massaging his shoulder.

He stared at the fire, and tried to take in the new sensation.

“No one has ever done this for you,” Anduin guessed.

It didn’t seem to need an answer.

“Sit up.”

Reluctantly, he climbed out of the warm blankets and sat cross-legged, feeling Anduin do the same behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and the other man grinned at him, motioning with one finger in the air that he should stop looking at him. Two hands were on him now, working out the knots in his muscles.

“I know,” Anduin breathed behind him, “That you think you’re a replacement.”

“I do not-“

“Shut up.”

Khadgar bit his cheek, and watched as a spark escaped the fireplace and extinguished in the air.

“I know you think you could never be a wife,” he continued, the amusement clear in his voice. “That one I will have to argue with. You’d make a very pretty wife.”

Khadgar closed his eyes, stifling his irritation rather than dare to disrupt the attention being spent on him. To his dismay the rubbing stopped.

“Relax.” There was a rustling sound, then a popping noise. A moment later the hands were on his shoulder again, this time slick with oil. Khadgar couldn’t help the noise he made in his throat, or bring himself to care about the chuckle at his expense. “No one can replace the ones I’ve lost.”

“And I’m not trying to-“ Khadgar said quickly, eyes flying open in alarm.

The hand was suddenly on his stomach, rubbing soothingly. “I’m not looking to replace them. But that doesn’t mean I cannot love another, Khadgar.”

Khadgar blinked back the sudden, embarrassing stinging in his eyes. The hand worked its way down to his cock, and he gasped unabashedly.

“There,” Anduin’s voice said soothingly. The administrations halted, and the bed shifted. “Come here.”

He turned around carefully, and found Anduin lying on his back with his legs spread. His erection was prominent between them. When Khadgar hesitated, he grabbed his hand and pulled him to his chest.

“I want to feel what you’ve felt,” Anduin said lowly. “You can do this.”

Khadgar took in the man underneath him, then took a steadying breath. He maneuvered into a more stable position and reached for the bottle oiling his fingers. Anduin nodded at him, opening his legs further. Hesitantly he worked his fingers inside the other man’s opening, feeling tight muscles contract and finally loosen. Anduin’s breathing quickened beneath him, his pale eyes intense on his own, his hair spread around his head on the pillow.

“Enough!” Anduin gasped out. “Enough. Please.”

The mage’s lips quirked at that. He could count on one hand the number of times he’d heard the other man say that word to him.

“Something funny?” Anduin’s eyes narrowed.

“You said please,” Khadgar said.

“And I meant it,” Anduin shot back instead of arguing.

Khadgar groaned then, and pushed inside. He buckled over Anduin’s chest with the sensation of it.

“That’s it,” Anduin encouraged. “That’s it.”

Like before, it took them a few tries before they were both moaning in pleasure, but they finally found the right rhythm. Anduin’s fingers clenched into his back as he thrust, then without warning, came with a white wave of pleasure. Still shaking from his release, he hastily pulled out, perhaps too fast from the noise Anduin made.

He made his apology by finding Anduin’s cock with his mouth, swallowing the other man as deeply as he could, trying to remember what Anduin had done to him that first time.

Anduin cried out in shock, then grunted as he thrust up twice and finished, filling Khadgar’s mouth with bitter liquid. Gagging, he spat it out, but not before he was sure Anduin was well and truly done. He began stuttering out an apology, but Anduin silenced him, pulling him up into his arms.

“Hush,” he said. “There will be time to practice, and we can clean in the morning.”

Their breathing slowly evened out. Khadgar traced the scars on the other man’s chest idly, his eyes half closed.

“Your options are not Karazhan, or an inn,” Anduin said into the silence.

Khadgar tilted his chin up to look at him.

“Whether or not I’m here, this is your home, do you understand that?”

Anduin was staring at the ceiling. His fingers, though, stroked Khadgar’s back.

“Mage?” Anduin prompted, finally looking down to meet his eyes.

Khadgar worked through many things he wanted to say in his head. He wanted to point out that where they walked would not always be the same path. He wanted to point out that without Anduin, there would be no point in returning there. He wanted to say something foolish, like offering Karazhan up as a home in return.

In the end, what he said was worse. “I love you.”

He immediately regretted it, as it brought the worst self-satisfied smile he had ever seen to Anduin’s face. It was worth it, though, for how bright the warrior’s eyes became in the moments after.

Khadgar looked down, embarrassed, but Anduin put two fingers under his chin, pulling him up into a kiss.

“Whatever may come,” Khadgar murmured thoughtfully, as they broke away.

“Whatever may come,” Anduin agreed, his voice gravelly. “Now sleep, dear spell-chucker.”

And that was how Khadgar, Guardian of Azeroth, found out Anduin Lothar, Lion of Azeroth, was ticklish.


End file.
